Arc of Gunfire

On November 1, as soon as Wang Zhong arrived at the division headquarters, he saw that Pavlov had arrived early and was discussing with Popov, who was working the night shift, in front of the map.

"The enemy's advance speed suddenly accelerated." Pavlov crossed his chest with one hand and held his chin with the other hand. "Yesterday, they actually advanced 20 kilometers. If they advance like this, it is indeed possible for them to enter Yebao before it gets cold. "

Wang Zhong: "What's going on?"

Pavlov pointed to the telegram on the table: "Read it yourself."

Wang Zhong picked up the telegram, read it quickly, and then said: "Have you never seen the enemy advance seventy kilometers a day and make a fuss about twenty kilometers?

"In addition, I have checked the surrounding ground. The land here is not like Kozalia. The ground here is relatively hard. Even if there is mud, it should not be as serious as the black soil of Kozalia."

Wang Zhong rode Busifalas to investigate. At that time, he was going to take a car, but Gregory suggested riding a horse because "horses are more useful than cars at this time, trust me."

All around Suhayaveli was hard flooring, covered only by a layer of mud.

Correspondingly, when Wang Zhong asked the old farmers nearby, they also said that wheat was generally not grown nearby, but various vegetables were grown, as well as fodder for pigs, such as alfalfa.

And potatoes.

This has even affected the supply of the Imperial Guards. When they were in Khazalia, the officers and soldiers had a variety of things on their dinner tables, but now they have beetroot soup with potatoes every day.

Potatoes even became a staple food. After steaming, they were distributed as bread to the officers and soldiers, and the soldiers were required to peel them themselves.

The bakery in the division now usually distributes bread only once every three days.

Wang Zhong didn't expect that he would intuitively feel the goodness of Kesalia's black land so quickly.

Recalling the scene during the previous investigation, Wang Zhong couldn't help but touch the lunch box hanging on his body. It was filled with heavy soil from his hometown.

Wang Zhong: "The land around here is not like the black land of Kozalia, it's not like that."

Pavlov: "I see, I haven't examined the conditions of the nearby land, so it is the changes in the ground that speed up the enemy's advance."

He picked up a pencil and wrote a few words on the map: The ground is hard.

"What's the situation of our army?" Wang Zhong asked.

Pavlov: "The four newly added armies are all deployed on the frontal defense line. I think the Western Front's idea is to use these troops with no combat experience to delay the enemy and make them tired, and then use the rested troops Troops intercepted them."

Wang Zhong looked at the map. Kashuhe's army was placed south of Suhayaveli, and the defense area was greatly reduced. It should be because his army suffered heavy losses.

The other units of the Kirinenko Group Army were basically positioned around Suhayaveli, and seemed to be preparing to fight around the Guards.

Wang Zhong: "Didn't the group army get replenished?"

Pavlov: "Are you talking about a large number of protective military camps? That has indeed been supplemented. But experienced and formally trained young men have not been supplemented much at the moment. I think the troops mobilized in the first phase have been completed."

The mobilization is carried out in stages. The first batch of mobilization will be veterans and reservists who have been discharged within three years. And those young people of school age who have not received military training are not actually among the first batch of mobilization ranks, so they can only join the army and then undergo military training.

Next, it is time to mobilize veterans who have been out for more than three years. Most of them need to undergo recovery training. If there is no way to mobilize, they will go directly to the front line.

Have all the veterans and reserve active duty soldiers within three years of their retirement been exhausted... This also includes the 5 million troops that were expanded from the previous military expansion.

Wang Zhong looked at the map with a solemn expression. People say that numbers are cold and cannot make people feel real, but people like Wang Zhong who have actually come out of hell can feel the heaviness when they see the numbers.

"What a crime," he said softly, "bad military expansion and bad command, what a crime."

Pavlov and Popov were also silent, as if they were mourning the sacrifice of millions of soldiers.

By coincidence, the song of an unknown army floated outside: "Khazar, Khazalia! The corpse carriage passed by the river bank, the bank of the mother river!"

Pavlov suddenly asked: "What is the name of this song? I haven't heard you say it?"

Wang Zhong: ""Bite the Mud"."

Sand Devouring means eating sand. This is a story about Aganstan. If replaced by Kesalia, it would be called "Eating Mud", which makes sense.

Popov was shocked: "This name cannot boost morale! Do you really want to publish under this name?"

Wang Zhong: "No, the name Vasily wrote when he sent it to the music magazine was "The Last Courage"."

Popov breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time Nelly opened the door: "Breakfast."

Pavlov: "Oh, breakfast is here. What did you eat today? It smells so good."

Nellie: "Suzy Gumbo."

"Yeah, give me a bowl."

Nelly immediately filled a bowl for the chief of staff.

The fat chief of staff picked it up and took a big sip. Then he used a spoon to scoop up the minced meat that had been stewed in the thick soup and put it into his mouth.

Wang Zhong silently watched Pavlov enjoy his meal, and just watched his nose bleed.

"Wait a minute!" Pavlov took out a handkerchief and covered his nose. "What's going on?"

Wang Zhong: “Because the meat used in this soup is not sausage or beef, but venison and hedgehog meat.”

Nellie: "And snake meat. I processed everything Sergeant Major Gregory caught and put it in."

Pavlov's eyes widened: "Why are you taking it out for us to eat now?"

Wang Zhong: "Because she had passed her day yesterday, there was no use for me to eat anymore. So I sent the uneaten meat to the cooking team."

Popov was speechless: "It's over, do you know how many single mothers you are going to create now? There are so many girls in the station, the cooking team, the laundry team, and the nurses in the hospital. It's over, it's over, how can you let these young men eat deer?" And the hedgehog, it’s over.”

Wang Zhong scratched his head: "My fault?"

"Your fault," Popov and Pavlov said together.

————

On November 1, the Second Armored Group Forward Headquarters, the former residence of the writer Kozov.

"General!" the adjutant declared proudly while leading the way, "This is the former residence of the great writer Kozsov."

Von Moltke slowed down and walked inside while admiring the well-preserved displays in the room: "This is where he wrote the book "War and Peace."

Adjutant: "Do you want to set up the headquarters here?"

"No," Von Moltke refused without thinking. "The enemy has gradually begun to blow up existing buildings. This former residence will definitely become a bombing target. As long as it is within the enemy's artillery attack range, you cannot live in a ready-made house." Let the enemy succeed.”

Adjutant: "However, because they do not live in houses or camp on the road within the range of enemy artillery fire, the physical strength of the troops is very high. The boys need beds."

Von Moltke: "Tell them that after you die in battle, you can rest forever, in Valhalla."

"But," the adjutant asked doubtfully, "isn't the war about to end?"

Moltke did not answer, but walked to the unfolded map and looked at the largest place name on it: Ekaterinaburg. He pursed his lips tightly and even blinked less frequently.

At this time, a staff officer ran in, put his legs together and shouted loudly: "Report! Report from the front line, three new group army numbers were obtained from the prisoners!"

Mao Qi immediately turned around to face the staff officer, his eyebrows raised completely: "How many?"

"Three!" the staff officer replied loudly.

Moltke said in a low voice: "I heard it, don't be so loud."

The staff officer was embarrassed.

The adjutant went over to take the telegram and quietly waved to him to leave quickly.

General Moltke personally stepped forward, took the telegram, and began to read: "Based on the interrogation of the prisoners, the existence of three enemy armies, 111, 112, and 113, was confirmed. According to the prisoners' oral statements, these three armies did not have a corps-level organization. , it is speculated that it was caused by excessive losses of senior officers.

"The 112th Group Army, the largest of the three group armies, has eight infantry divisions. Together with the artillery and auxiliary troops attached to the group army, it has a size of about 100,000 people.

“The smallest 111th Group Army has five divisions and an independent brigade, with about 60,000 people.

"We estimate that at least 200,000 new troops have joined the defensive operations."

After reading Moltke, he put the hand holding the telegram behind his back, took a deep breath, and then looked at the ceiling.

He maintained this movement, as if a child were watching a spider web on the ceiling.

Finally, Moltke asked: "The high command said there are only many enemies on the front?"

Adjutant: "One million."

"Now it's 1.2 million. Ask the front line, how are the equipment of these newly added army groups? If the equipment is poor... there is still hope."

The adjutant immediately turned around: "I'll call right now... uh, use the radio to ask."

"No, it's not that urgent. Just send a telegram."

…

About an hour later, Moltke was looking through Kozsov's collection of books when the adjutant came in with a telegram: "The reply is here, general."

"Read it." The general said softly.

The adjutant lowered his head: "The new group armies encountered did show signs of lack of equipment, but the lack was mainly in light weapons. The number of heavy artillery and tanks were relatively sufficient. The soldiers of these armies were highly motivated and would often launch bayonet charges to make up for their own losses. Lack of combat skills.

"as well as……"

The adjutant stopped, glanced at the general, and then continued: "And we discovered a new army group number. The 114th Group Army has eight infantry divisions and one cavalry division, with nearly 100,000 people."

Moltke sighed: "The steamroller... is turning."

He closed the ancient book and closed his eyes.

After a few seconds, he opened his eyes: "No, it's not time to give up yet, order all the troops to move forward at full speed! The muddy situation is easing. Let's spend the winter in Yekaterinburg!"

After speaking, he turned to look at the collection of books: "Pack these books in boxes and put them in the basement! The Anters will bombard this house, and the collection of books is innocent!"